I'm 24, living with my parents, jobless with no real prospects in my near future. Is this normal?

Before I went to school I always assumed that I would graduate, find an entry level job and put in my time until I got something I really wanted to do. Instead, I haven't been able to find al job in anything related to what I want to do. I like to think that this is happening to a lot of people my age right now, but a big part of me thinks that for everyone like me there is some one who DID get a job and I'm just not trying hard enough. Almost two years after graduating I'm still living at home and slowly losing hope and growing accustomed to the idea of a life in retail and service industry jobs, which is all I've managed to get so far. Getting paid under the table does have it's perks. Anyone else out there feel like this?

edit: not to mention that my living/work situation is severely limiting my romantic options. I feel like I'm in the prime part of my life for dating and instead I'm sleeping in my high school room in a town devoid of any girls my age- and what's worse, let's say I did get a date, it's not like we could go back to my place for drinks or whatever. Hey girlsname we can make bagel bites but we have to be really quiet!! I don't want to wake my little bro!

I think our generation is having a bit of an idenitiy crisis. The path laid out by our parents just isn't working out and it's scary as shit. Hang in there, and keep looking, I'm sure you'll find a great job eventually, even if it wasn't what you were anticipating.

I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

Upvote for fight club. This quote isn't as relevant these days as it may have been 10 or 12 years ago though. This generation has two shitty wars and a shitty depression. It's not boredom and complacency that is the problem now, it's loss of hope...

Its pretty hard for most people in their mid twenties who have spent a large chunk of our adult life in the middle of a global economic meltdown. A lot of research is ongoing into how the delay in people's working lives will affect us.

I personally hate having to work for someone else and instead ploughed all my cash into my own business while I'm at university. I'm making way more than I could ever hope to make in a retail sweatshop and my schedule works around me. Take a chance, if the money isn't coming to you, go to it!

The problem is... You're not competing locally anymore. When you're out looking for a job, especially in the tech industry, guess what? You are competing with the world. You're competing with Sanjay in India, who works twice the hours you do for a tenth the cost.

Except from what I have found is that one decent IT guy is worth 10 Sanjay's. Although there are a few who know their stuff but the keep getting moved between accounts because they are too valuable and expensive.

Believe me. My company outsourced their IT to one of the top 5 indian companies and I got rehired with the Indian company.

Identity crisis is part of it, but young people have always been that way. What has changed is that boomers haven't retired from jobs requiring college degrees. Those jobs are fewer, but they can be found. You just can't stay in the same town and be scared to move if you want to put your degree to use.

Identity crisis is part of it, but young people have always been that way.

Not really. A few decades ago young adults were pretty sure where their life was heading -- continuing family businesses (without having to go to college), starting a family of their own, entering the military, or going to college or university to actually learn and research, among other options. Nowadays, going to college is the norm. Kids today are forced to do it by parents. College didn't used to be for everybody. Half the jobs today that "the boomers haven't retired from" didn't originally require a college degree in the first place. And with national corporations at the forefront of society's mind, young adults literally have to prove that they are the absolute best among their age group just to score a 3 month unpaid internship. Young people today are still playing Pokemon while society is forcing them to put on a poorly fitting suit to pretend to be enthusiastic about corporate white-collar careers, where they will have to spend 50% of their waking life devoted to sitting on their ass in a cubicle and trying to impress those above them through "leadership skills" and "interpersonal communication" that college courses are fucking made up to teach.

Hello me of 2006, this will probably get buried amongst all the good advice, but I felt a need to respond. Hope it helps and best of luck.

I was in a very similar position to you leaving school. I went home to live with my parents after graduating in 4 years with a degree destined for post-bac study, and the market for my graduate degree was quickly eroding and prompted a change in course.

I spent a year unemployed, and another 6 months in between part time labor. During that time I fell into pretty severe depression for all the reasons you've listed above. Living in a catch 22 in regards to both my professional prospects as well as dating.

My quick advice is nothing and nobody is going to fix this other than you - while that doesn't sound very hopeful I've grown to see it as one of the most empowering experiences of my life. I am grateful for the time I had where shit wasn't working out, I am galvanized for having been through the experience and tempered by the positive lessons gleaned from the experience.

I know you already know this, but the jobs marketplace is suffering from a glut of educated people right now, in many places a glut of experienced and educated people. You will not be selected over them, and because of that fact you really need to build on demonstrable accomplishments that can be presented to future employers.

You wont find a good job with a good employer for another couple of years, unless you are really really lucky.

You need experience - even if that is unpaid. Internships that take advantage of people in your situation are going to be hard work for little to no pay, if you can even find them. If you can, you need to take the opportunity. You are not only building experience on the resume, you're making connections with people inside an industry you need to penetrate.

I spent 5 years working menial job to menial job, every advancement or job change meant I was closer to working the job I actually wanted, but there was no way to get the job I have now without having had the shit jobs on the way. I worked for some horrible people, I put myself in horrible employment situations, and it sucked. I have a good job, and now work with good people, I wouldn't have been able to make it to the position I occupy now without having had the previous employment experience I established on my way.

Good intelligent people are few and far between in EVERY industry. When you expose yourself to internships you open up the possibility of meeting some of those people. If you work hard and demonstrate you have a good work ethic, are intelligent, and posses more social skills than a styrofoam cup you will earn the favor of your betters.

Recently I became unemployed, I found a job within a month because I had maintained a good relationship with someone I had worked with 2 employers previous. I called asking to list him as a reference, he asked for the resume. Anecdotally, I reported this story to the unemployment office I had been receiving compensation from and they echoed the sentiment that most people that have come through their office are getting work through non-traditional means (networking and social relationships).

If this is work you truly want to do, you need to demonstrate that. By this I mean, do you have a website dedicated to your employment search online (ala resume on the web)? You recently graduated with a degree in film, have you produced anything to put in a portfolio, is that portfolio maintained? What have you been working on since you graduated? Show off your talents, the practice of it will keep you sharp, and in the odd chance you get to show this to a prospective employer it could really distinguish you against other applicants. Maintain a forward facing set of social networks to make it easy for employers to get an informal background view of you - linkedin, and facebook are good places to start (might want to make a new more professional facebook if yours maintains a list of college friends that might reflect poorly on you).

Complete profiles for yourself on monster, jobdango, and similar sites so that your resume is on file.

If there's hope for a guy who screws up freakin Taco Bell orders to get a real job, there's hope for everyone.

Also, traditional "american dream" living--ie getting 9-5 office job/wife/2.5 kids/house in the suburbs--doesn't have to be a driving factor anymore and truthfully, that kinda life sucks. You need to figure out what you really wanna do and do what else just to get by and make those things happen.

Move out to a city and find a service job to get you on your feet but that "move to a city" part is the most important.

If there's hope for a guy who screws up freakin Taco Bell orders to get a real job, there's hope for everyone.

There is little I'd be more likely to screw up than a Taco Bell order, were I to find myself in a position where I made them frequently. Working a job you don't want that has a low skill requirement, is boring, with little incentive for quality work, is not going to bring out your A game 100% of the time.

eh...I find that lifestyle appealing...but then again, that's coming from a 9-5'er office job w/ wife. Also, the "move to a city" isn't too appealing for many people (myself included) Give me pastures and countryside farmers markets any ole day. They won't be here very long I fear.

I was 24, hadn't finished community college, still lived at home, way too much 420 time, slept till 1pm daily, worked part time at a restaurant delivering pizza and washing dishes. Romantic prospects were bleak, to say the least - I was a decent looking, relatively charming guy, but I was very inexperienced, and had major confidence issues from my whole situation.

Eventually, I ran into some minor legal trouble, and my parents finally had enough - they said get your shit together or get out. Tough love, but necessary. So, I picked up a crap minimum wage job unloading trucks at 7am a local retail warehouse (40 hrs/wk) on top of my evening restaurant job. It totally turned me around. I started earning what was (for me, at the time) decent cash. I laid off the bud, and stopped feeling like a waste of life for sleeping all day. The physical work had a very good effect on me, so I started working out at home a lot, and saw very positive changes, started getting compliments from all my friends on my new build, etc. My confidence shot through the roof, and within 3 months found myself with an awesome girlfriend. Within a year we had moved in together. A year after that, I got a big boy sales job making an excellent living. I can't say everything has been 100% gravy since then, but that's life - there will always be setbacks I guess. Just try to learn from them and do better next time.

I guess my point is I was in a major rut, as it sounds like you are, and even though outside influence was involved, I finally got out of my comfort zone. Take on extra part time work wherever you can (I was actually working 3 jobs at one point), and earn enough cash to rent your own place nearby, even if it's with 1 or 2 friends/roommates. Start working out at home, it will do wonders for your confidence, which is a huge part of the battle. The rest will all fall into place, my friend, I promise. Good Luck!

I don't think the question to ask is "is this normal." If it is normal, are you okay with it? Fuck normal. If you're not happy with how your life is now, pick one part of it to change, and change it. I know, it's easy to say that from outside your life, not so easy from inside of it. Break it down into manageable steps. Make a goal. "I'm going to send out 10 resumes and make follow-up calls on all of them by the end of this week." "I'm going to talk to 3 people I don't know this week and let them know my area of specialty." (Most jobs aren't advertised)

Better yet, find the company you really want to work for and court them. Figure out how you can help them. Once I wanted to work for a company in Nashville as a web programmer. Instead of sending a resume, which would have been overlooked, I noticed their pages didn't use style sheets and weren't accessible by people with disabilities (my specialty at the time). I spent several hours revamping their front page. Didn't change the design, just the underlying code. Cut the page load size by 66%. Emailed it to them with my resume. That got my foot in the door and piqued their interest. They called me.

I picked the job thing because it's a natural place for me to start. Gotta make money before I can think about moving out. But maybe you do make enough to move out and that's a more important step in gaining your independence and confidence. Point is, you don't need to change everything at once. Pick something manageable and make progress toward it. Achieving one goal will help motivate you toward the next one. Baby steps, Bob. Baby steps.

I'm literally living this exact life style right now and I can attest to say that COD, Reddit, and Big Macs (sometimes numerous trips to get le Big Mac in a single day) are actually in fact making me lazier and socially inept. I realize this is my completely my own fault, as I know I am fully competent to work a full time job (undergraduate accounting degree) I just have become to lethargically used to doing nothing but playing video games, lurking reddit, and eating fast food literally every meal of every single day. I don't really know where I was going with this based on your post but for some reason your video game combo + 100 big macs in one month really did it for me..

Well, I certainly applaud anyone wanting to eat 100 big Macs, but take it from this old McDonald's rat, I've spent my entire adult life eating at McDonnald's, and a program like this one can do more harm than good.

If you only eat big Macs one part of your body (and that's all a single burger type like Big Mac is going to do for you), you're setting yourself up for injuries down the road. I've seen it a hundred times.

Big Macs basically only train the gut muscles and to some extent, the esophagus. What you really want to do is train your entire digestive system, all the major gut groups (esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, and kidneys) at the same time, over the course of a Big Mac meal. So, you will need to add large Big fries, and Large coke with it. Ask for the "Go Big" program.

I'm proud of you guys wanting to do this. Three big meals! Falling in love with eating big Macs, etc., is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. And you WILL fall in love with it if you can just force yourself to stick with it a year or two and experience the amazing progress you'll make.

But do it right, okay?

My advice, find any McDonnald near you, with qualified burger flippers who will design your burger for you (especially in the beginning, until you get the hang of it yourself) and guide you in your quest for physical fatness. Three to 5 burgers a day, three days a week, is all you'll ever need to do (I refuse to believe anyone is so busy that he or she cannot make time for that, especially considering how important it is).

And don't worry about being embarrassed or not being out of shape the first time you walk into McDonnalds. You have to start somewhere and almost every one of us were there ourselves at one time. So no one will say anything to you and very, very quickly you will progress way beyond that stage anyway.

Yup, a lot of people our age have that problem right now. The old Catch 22: no experience so no job, no job so no experience. Especially in America's currently shitty economic climate it's difficult.

Make no mistake though: despite there being a lot of people like you there are also plenty who do find a job. So don't give up hope yet, tenacity pays off in the end. And on the topic of job searching, contacts are everything nowadays. So do you know anyone who knows anyone who could help you get something? Or how about people from the place you graduated?

I've run into so many catch-22s while looking for work. There are no jobs in my field in the area I'm living in currently, but applications I send out to places out of state / across the country / whatever get rejected because of the distance. No matter how many times I explain that yes, I will relocate.

Then when I apply for local stuff outside my field to keep bills paid, I get rejected because of lack of experience / "you have the wrong experience" / "too educated" / "you'd be really bored working here" / etc. (Yes, I have heard all of the quoted statements above. I'm sure my lolwut face was epic.)

At least I've got freelance work in the meantime, but goddamn is it discouraging as fuck.

Just put a mailing address in their city. What are they going to mail you anyways. Set up a Google Voice account w/ that area code if you want.

Would you hire someone from out of state and deal with that hassle and question mark if you were an employer? When you can easily get someone local? Even if it's at the employee's expense. Think like an employer.

I do say that, constantly. There's always a line about covering my own moving expenses in my cover letters for out of state stuff. On the rare occasions I get replies to applications/follow-ups, there's often a question in there about how, well, am I aware that I'm living in a different state than the posted position, and am I willing to relocate at my own expense?

Depends on the area but yeah, sometimes I do. I've always wondered about advice like this, though. What would happen if I actually get the job? "Surprise, I actually have to move 1,000 or so miles, brb!"?

I'm not too concerned about the stigmas of living at home- my parents aren't overbearing at all and I understand that I need to have income before I could move out. Kinda limits my girl prospects, though.

Seriously.. i was in the same position as you were 15 months ago.. Living at home, no girlfriend, just got layed off after 5 years in the same place.. so no job.. Just kept looking and looking. And for the women part.. as soon as you stop looking, opportunities will show.. and Dont Worry.. Everyone has been there.. so just joke about it..

I keep telling myself that. I decided to workout everyday, so when I do meet someone she'll be all like "woah your so ripped!" and I'll be all like "yea babe, and I have a job too" and then my life is good again

When I first met my boyfriend he was 25, working a temp job, and living at home with his parents. Fast forward two years, we have our own apartment together and he has a well paying full-time salaried position at a company he loves.

I promise you there are women out there who won't care about your living situation. Some might even be in the same boat as you!

As a girl, I can tell you some of us don't care that you live at home. My boyfriend is 24 and still lives at home, and while the "alone time" issue can be awkward/difficult, I don't look down on him for it. I live at home too, so the fact we have no rent to pay makes it easier for us to save up for a house of our own :) Just be confident, and if you ever do have a girl over just make sure she has a place to hide from awkward "I-don't-know-your-son-that-well-but-you-want-to-talk-to-me" parent conversations.

I think your girl prospects are probably more hurt by a lack of self confidence right now. The stigma of living with your parents until you get on your feet is beginning to wear off with the way the economy is these days. I read a statistic recently that said something like 80% of the college class of 2012 will be moving back in with their parents after they graduate. Living costs are too high, and wages and job prospects are low. The whole "graduate high school at 18, get a college degree by 22, get married and buy a house by 26" notion is a cultural relic. As long as you are actively trying everything you possibly can do to better yourself and get out on your own, and are not just pissing away time online or gaming all day, believe it or not, a lot of girls will respect that. A lot of young women are in your same situation, too. My husband and I had to move in with my parents for about a year because of our shitty job situation at the time.

Are you me? Same age, out of school for 2 years, no entry level jobs available in my preferred career field, unless you happen to have some years of real world experience. Under employed at a retail chain, applying for office jobs that someone with a GED could do, and not getting them.

I feel like I was lied to my whole life. That I was told if I studied hard doing what I loved, and got good grades, an entry level job would be a walk in the park. I could get my own place, and become an adult. I moved back into my parents' home, in the town I can't stand cause it saves me money. Just trying to find some sort of full time work that pays around $25,000 would be fucking amazing. But is it available? No.

I have two of you in my basement. My son, and his girlfriend. Life is hard. It's even harder when people can make bad choices that affect everyone, but never have to answer for it (I'm looking at you BofA, etc.). My kids are lucky. I'm extremely frugal, and it saved our house, so we have a room to offer my son and his fiance. Not everyone has that benefit, and homelessness is on the rise.

I'm just throwing this out there, ever thought of spending time with a charitable organization while you get your ducks in a row? It will get you out of the house, help you build marketable skill sets, and if you're lucky, maybe you'll meet a girl with her own place.... ;}

Nothing turns the ladies on quite like the depression and desperation of a mid-twenties underachiever. Something about Ramen noodles and freezing apartments makes them subconsciously believe you can protect them and would provide for any children she might have. That's why you always see the 10s on the arms of dudes on the dole. They can't get enough of it.

You have some valid advice and there is no value in turning this thread into a "the economy sucks and its not my fault" circle jerk, but I hope you do not beleive this problem is as simple as you imply. The problem is not necessarily a loss of hope but a lack of reasonable opportunity. It is easy to tell people to network and to "step outside of your comfort zone" but the reality is millions of people applying for thousands of jobs. Maybe you are successful, and I don't begrudge you that, but a lot of decent people are barely treading water and have not had much opportunity to do otherwise.

Mr. HowlandWeed, I am in a similar situation, though not yet so extreme. I force myself to apply for at least two jobs per day dispute hating applications more than anything. I exercise regularly, try expand my job skills, and try and use my time well (reddit being the exception). I hope you can get something in your field, but you might want to consider that with a degree and a bit of experience you can work your way up to manager or some respectable position in the retail or service industry fairly quickly. With the way the economy looks you probably shouldn't limit yourself to the dream job you might have been able to get a decade ago. Finally, if life has a prime I doubt it is restricted to early twenties. You have a lot of life ahead of you and plenty of time to find a nice girl. Good luck.

I got the extremely useful degree in Film from PSU. A double win! I've had some freelance work but nothing of substance. I'm definitely discouraged- it's hard not to be. I do try to network- I give my info to anyone who will listen. My friends and family are definitely looking out for me as well as the professional contacts I've made. That being said, I love stop-animation and working in that medium, and there very limited jobs in that field, even when it's not a recession. I love all things creative and would really do anything where some kind of art/design/media was involved. Even after writing that, though, it seems like it's a far-fetched dream and that I should try to find something else more readily available to put my energy into.

See, even int he language you're using I can tell that you aren't putting forth any real effort. I think you suffer from a lack of confidence, which probably stems from your expectations not being met once you graduated.

But instead of lamenting your position you should be celebrating. You have freedom, time, youth, and talent. You don't have a mortgage, dependants, as many bills as most people, etc. I.E., your lack of responsiblities enables you to pursue your dream, if you have one.

You should be creating things on your own rather than looking for a "job." You have the perfect background and situation to make something happen. Create something. It will fail. Accept that, then create something else. And something else. You are a filmmaker. Go make films! Go animate, act, teach, something.

As a frame of reference, I had small side-businesses going in college, (pc build/repair, dropshipping, reslling alcohol/drinks/snacks) with the aim of starting my own business after college. It takes balls to face the fact that you will fail, and people will see you fail. But one day you will garner success. I currently work for a large multi-national in distribution, and have a partnership in a small restaurant and another small online retailer. Soon, I will be able to quit and work full time on my other side projects.

Just put forth the effort, and try to look at things in a positive light.

Thanks for the kick in the butt. I am confident in my skills and work ethic, though. I know that I am intelligent and once I'm in somewhere, will work very hard and succeed. I'm 98% sure of that. I wish employers could just see that, too. On paper I'm a alright candidate, I've had some prestigious internships and good real-world experience, albeit not that much. I do plan on making a lot of stuff soon and hopefully something will stick out to someone. I do realize that I'm unencumbered by many "adult" things, such as bills and rent and whatnot, but sometimes you need people and events and things of that nature to film, yatta yatta yatta, not an excuse but definitely a limitation.

It's friday. Go out this weekend and make a 10 min short film. On anything. Make something up, like a bridge that's in love with a woman that raises ferrets, or something. Film it, edit it, and upload it to youtube. Just make something. Get outside. Motion creates emotion.

Al of those "on paper" things are great; they make it so much easier to market yourself when the time comes. You can even spin it, like "Well I interned for John D. Bigshot and worked on Transformers 15, but I wanted to go into business myself, like work outside the box." That shit impresses people, even if its fake.

Listen to this guy! If you're in film (or really any field based around producing creative work), you absolutely need a portfolio. Feelings are mixed about the utility of starting a blog/Youtube channel onto which to post your work, but since you have the time, why the hell not? Yes, you need to do the standard resume, cover letter, application thing, but you need to have some way to connect your potential employers with your body of work.

What "9-5 American dream job" were you expecting to get after graduating w/ a degree in film from PSU? These are not paths that have these kinds of jobs. They are highly creative and your degree doesn't matter, it's what you make. Recession or not, there would not be a real career path for you.

What you need to do is ask yourself if you are really talented in stop-animation, what your passion is.

If you are, then you are the luckiest man alive. Why? Digital video equipment is extremely cheap compared to what it would cost to produce a film 20 years ago. Also, you've got YouTube and online niche communities for this kind of thing. Instead of dicking around at home you should be sitting there making all kinds of animated movies, posting them to YouTube, and trying to generate a following. Best case, your productions take off and build a big fan base and that turns into something bigger; worst case: you now have a portfolio to show more traditional production houses. You also need to ask yourself "where are my talents in demand right now?" Surely this is not in Bumfuck Suburbia in the middle of the country. It's either in highly specific areas of the US, or not in the US at all. Maybe you have to go to Asia. I don't know. Maybe go teach English in China and figure it out.

If you don't think this is for you, you need to go back to school or pick up a trade. Highly skilled labor is in high demand in the U.S. and you can make a good middle class living on it.

People who succeed in film are by no means traditional. Nobody goes "Film degree --> Send out resumes --> Now directing Hollywood films."

Honestly, don't knock it. Not everybody will be a big director, but there are tons of industry related jobs that a film degree can snag you. The problem is you need to live in LA or NYC to get those said jobs.

I work in the industry and can count on two hands the number of people I know who have film degrees. Nobody cares. You're much better off getting a PA gig under your belt, and you don't need experience for that.

Dude, go on craigslist and look for PA jobs. They're entry level, you don't even need a degree to do them, and you have all sorts of potential to move up and progress in the industry. Also, being a PA can be really fun. Even if you don't get paid just yet you can still justify doing it because it's cool and much better than sitting on your ass on weekends.

And nothing worked out for you? What specific skills do you have related to the industry? Can you write or edit? Have you sent out your resume editing or production houses? You mentioned that you have video equipment. That's a real good start. You might also try looking for 'traffic coordinator' positions at ad agencies. It's an entry level position, but many agencies have video departments that you can probably become a part of if you have the skills and the personality for it.

Find bands in your area and offer to do some music videos, or find small businesses that need commercials or product demos for their websites/YouTube/etc.; donate your time or try to get a small editing fee.

Three things will happen when you do this, assuming you do nice work: 1.) You're building a reel of marketable work that prospective employers can see bringing in $$ if they hire you, 2.) You gain word of mouth recommendations from those that you've made work for, 3.)You stay in practice and your work might get seen by someone looking to hire people

Another avenue you should explore is becoming an intern. You might have to work for free or minimum wage, but if you kick enough ass, you could be hired. My production company has at least 6 interns at any given time, and we have hired 4 from the intern army in the past 2 years. I am 40, but when I was unemployed at 38, I interned at a major audio studio here in town for free, and made a ton of contacts that have led to work for $$. I also learned valuable production methods that I use today at my full-time gig in video/audio production. You can do it.

Don't give up. Use your free time to make new work. Self-publish and spread the word - get a Vimeo channel, fuck YouTube - all the artists publish at Vimeo. Spend a few days watching stuff on Vimeo to gain new inspiration. Search for people doing work on Vimeo with the gear you own to find new ways to use it.

If you have problems generating ideas, pick up a book and film a scene or get a song you like and come up with visuals for it. There's never a shortage of material, just a shortage of imagination and skill.

You are falling into a depression about your situation, but you can break out once you begin to get motivated. The first new work you make that turns out will break the seal on making new stuff.

You can do it. I was in the same place as you 3 different times in my life, and this is how I broke out of it.

Pretty much in a similar situation here in the UK. I'm stuck in a flat with 5 housemates, all my work references have been layed off or reassigned so I have no references for previous employment and volunteer positions become a rare as jobs. Then told that my university degree doesn't mean anything by people in the industry I was trying to get employed in and then told it makes me over qualified for retail positions which are the main source of employment in the area around me now. I'm 27 I'm too old for most apprenticeship or trainee positions in most work places and any help from the jobcentre. Throw in the fact my history with cancer at 19 and now been mixed up in a police investigation about a crime I reported most employers won't touch me with a stick.

I'll confess I'm suffering from a lack of confidence but options are limited and I find myself becoming increasing isolated. I wish anyone else in the same situation luck and wish you the best if you can get out.

Due to life situations out of my control, I had to drop out of college in my senior year (2009). I then immediately joined the US Air Force, and I haven't looked back since. I met my husband (also in the AF), and now I have a nice house, lots of pets, a steady income (annual household income, both me and my husband, around ~$80k), and we are planning on starting a family soon. I'm 25, my husband is almost 27, and we have a pretty decent life. I NEVER thought in a million years that I would have joined the military. But I was in a position that was slightly worse than yours, what with having NO degree, and a HUGE amount of student loan debt. The thought of living with my mom and working a minimum wage job just to claw my way out from under my mountain of debt, made me incredibly depressed. I only have about 2 semesters left until my BA, and I'm also in the position to tack on a (meaningless) Associate's Degree. Not only that, I am working in a job that pays EXTREMELY well on the outside (IT-related) and have a Top Secret security clearance. So pretty much... joining the military has set me up to be in a pretty good position when my enlistment ends.

You'd be surprised at the number of people I encounter (at least in the Air Force, I can't speak for the other branches) who have Bachelor's degrees or higher, who AREN'T officers. Hell, my last supervisor had TWO Master's Degrees.

Just don't lose hope... something with crop up, and I'm sure you will be in a much better place soon :)

On a more serious note, you are strangely quite similar to me. I graduated from Pitt in December 09. I finally landed a job in October '10 but it was no easy journey. In the end it was just the result of knowing somebody which seems to be the best bet for anybody. The trick is taking of advantage of anybodyyyy you know that could be of possible use, and also getting to know as many people as possible. I am 25 and just now looking to buy a house so I can get the hell out of my parents so don't feel too bad on that front.

Seriously though when the hell is Howland Reed gonna show his face? Such a tease.

Move to North Dakota. People in Minot make $12 an hour working at Taco Johns so you could certainly do better than that! After a few years you will have enough experience to find something better somewhere better.

After reading some of your posts, I think you already know what you want and you seem to have an inkling on what you have to do to get there. You've probably seen the options, but compared to where you're at right now, the ones that work are more trouble than they're worth. You don't think you can start from the bottom again. Where you're at in life right now, it's pretty good. Comfortable. Just not how you imagined it to be. If you do pursue your original dreams, you know a huge change is necessary, likely you still want to after realizing this, but a part of you is resisting. I think it's safe to say, these feelings have been building up for some time. You've probably given it a lot of thought, but never any conclusions. Whenever your life is eventful, it doesn't bother you, but during the downtimes, they come back, usually much worse than the last time around. Sooner or later you'll have to make a decision. Be happy with the direction you're headed for and fill into it completely, making it great instead of just passable, or change yourself and then your life with it. Good luck:)

I was in the same boat. Graduated... working a shitty job 8 months later... no real prospects.

I made a hard choice. I did some research, found an area of the country that was doing better (Alberta, FYI) than where I was, and I moved away from friends and family.

It's sad to be far from the people I know and love, but I am working in my field now earning real experience, while my friends languish in our small town. I am also making new friends, and enjoying a bit of freedom redefining who I am outside of my personal history.

I graduated from college, and outside of a summer job, didn't get to use my degree at all, and worked food service jobs. Single, living at home, slowly losing hope.

I kept looking though, mostly through craigslist, and wrote to whomever seemed to be offering anything related to my degree. I dealt with a lot of spam, but eventually got a few credible interviews.

One day, out of nowhere, I get a call and get hired on the spot. The owner had made up his mind six months after meeting me that I was hired. The job was part time, but the work was something I really liked, and the pay was great.

Then, out of nowhere, I walked into a cell phone store and got hired because I needed to use the bathroom. It sounds amazingly unlikely, but the important part is to talk to everyone you come across. If you can engage people in conversations, you'll come across all sorts of opportunities to advance yourself in the personal and career world.

Don't give up home, and get out of the house! Eventually, with enough effort, opportunities will show themselves. It's just a matter of being aware of when they occur.

Once you find a solid job, everything else falls into place. Finding a comfortable home, meeting a girlfriend, etc. It'll all be much more practical later on.

TL;DR Don't give up hope, I was you a year and a half ago and now life is great.

I can't even find a fucking retail job right now...it's awful. I might have to move back in with my mom at the end of this month (something I REALLY don't want to do) I have no money at all--I can't even go grocery shopping at this point.

I wouldn't go to Korea unless you plan on staying there. You're delaying finding a job by taking the easy and fun way out by teaching in Korea. After you come back in a couple years, you will find yourself in the same situation you are in now.

You have a few things going for you that not a lot of people can say they have. Education, understanding/patient parents, and you have youth.

At only 24, you're still pretty good to having a promising career, you just have to put yourself out there. Start sending your resume EVERYWHERE. I mean from CA to NY. When an opportunity arises, go for it.

As for romantic partners, the type of girls that would slight you for not having a job, etc are pretty shallow. These are things you can control to only a certain extent. If they can see the effort you're putting into change your situation, that's enough for the genuine ones to give you a shot.

I turn 23 today, am also jobless, and also live with my parents. I've been dumping CVs everywhere,emaling every company i can think of, answering every job offer I can find, so no prospects too. Only when you're looking for job do you realize how hard it is to find one these days

You are definitely not alone. I graduated with an engineering degree in the summer of 2009, and moved back to my parents house. For about 8 months i didnt do shit. I applied for jobs but nobody wanted to hire an engineer with zero experience. Finally i started to work for my grandfather for minimal pay just so i could have some money, as i had pretty much exhausted what little money i had saved. Finally about 3 months ago i got lined up with a job that is related to my degree, moved out and am trying to get my life going again. It sucks to think about but for over two years i was just stuck, not going anywhere. After you are like that for so long it can be difficult to get started again. So i would say keep looking for something you want and be open to anything, maybe even an unpaid position with a company you want to work for.

I have no advice for you, unfortunately. I'm in the exact same situation (recently turned 25, graduated with a degree in engineering 2 years ago, living at home, working shitty job that has nothing to do with my degree, etc.). Still trying to figure things out. You're not the only one.

I'm 23, I've been living on my own since I was 18. I live in Southern California. The market that we're in sucks but I don't see why people my age still live with their parents. You're an adult whether you like to admit it or not. I worked my ass off to get my own place and keep it. It sucks that we inherited The MTV's (generation X, Fight Club "no great war no great depression") mess but you need to get any job that pays and save. I spend most of my money on rent but its worth living on your own. We think life goes highschool, college, job you hate but is still in your field and then great job. When really it goes like this highschool, college, shit job (taco bell, starbucks, waiter) more shit jobs, then a friend hooks you up with a nice job. I hate that most people my age give up and just live with their parents. I'm getting high right now and hanging out with my friends. I don't have to worry about mom or dad and chicks my age are impressed with a guy that has his shit together. Sacrifice (real sacrifice) now and you'll be so glad you did. After having this level of freedom moving back in with my parents isn't even an option. Sorry I was harsh at first but I tell all my buddies the same thing and they thank me when they are living on their own. That college degree doesn't make you immune to shitty jobs.

In the vast majority of cases, "excuse" is the same as "the legitimate reason". If there are no jobs available, there are no jobs available. That's not to say you are or are not to blame, but it is reality.

thanks fumper. I really would like to be able to find a post like this a couple months from now and give some support to someone, instead of sucking the sympathy from you nice people when I feel like I don't really deserve it.

Are you looking for jobs? Do you want to get a job and work hard? I'm assuming the answers are yes. If that's the case, you do deserve sympathy. I'm 26, and I probably got fed the same lines as you did growing up. Go to school, you'll get a great job, working outside your field won't be necessary, working in retail is beneath you, only losers move back home. Bullshit. This isn't the 1970s when that might have been true.

I got lucky as shit every step of the way. If even one of the things in my career hadn't worked out as well as it did, I guarantee I would be in the exact same situation as you. Anyone who says that they would never be in that situation because they work so hard, or they're so smart, or they're just so fantastic, is lying to you, and probably to themselves. I know I'm doing better than most, and I know that I've worked hard, but all of that would mean exactly fucking nothing if I hadn't lucked into a handful of situations. It doesn't matter how smart or hard working you are, if the opportunities aren't there, they aren't there. No one, and I mean fucking no one, got to where they are on their own. People love a good bootstraps story, but the reality is every single person got to where they are thanks in large part to luck.

To end my rant, think of the most successful person you've ever known. Then, imagine they were born HIV positive in the Congo, and their parents were murdered in front of them when they were a child. Now, how successful would they have been? They were lucky they were born in a rich, western democracy, without a mother who did drugs while pregnant, and went to school in world-class publicly-funded education system. To bastardize a Warren Buffett-ism, we've all won the genetic lottery.

What have you done with your degree? Do you have a demo reel, have you worked as a PA on film sets? Jesus, it's not that hard to get started in the film industry. It's easy to get your foot in the door. It's harder to not suck.

Instead, I haven't been able to find al job in anything related to what I want to do.

Yeah, you and some ungodly amount of other college grads. I'm not doing what I WANT to do. I think I know about 2 people who are. Suck it up and do something that's close to what you want to do. You'll get there eventually.

Yes it's normal. But it's normal because most people are lazy and expect a college degree to automatically get them a job. Finding a job should become your job. That means 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you should be actively looking for and applying to jobs, networking, etc.

Be ruthless with your resume. Build it up and tear it down again. Put it in front of 5 people you know who are in hiring positions, and have them critique it for you as well. Your school may have a position that is there to help you critique resumes as well.

Network. This does not mean tell everyone you know "hey, I'm good with a camera. If you know of a job, tell me." It means you send out an email to anyone who works at a job you are interested in. Ask if you can sit down with them for 15 minutes and pick their brain a bit; almost everyone will agree, especially if it involves free coffee and a break from work. Ask them how they got there, what suggestions tehy have for you, have them look over your resume if you want, whatever. Don't mention that you are looking for jobs, they already know that. Tell them that if they know of any positions that open up to please let you know. Write down their email, and once a month follow up just saying it was a pleasure talking to them and if they know of any opportunities, please let you know.

Work on your interviewing. Practice with friends, family members, etc.

If you are in film, do you have a book/portfolio? If so, clean that up and make sure it is as good as possible. Research other people's portfolios. What do they do that you could do? Implement that.

Keep learning even though you are out of school. Stay up to date on industry trends, learn new things, always be teaching yourself. The less a future employer has to teach you before you can step in and contribute, the better.

Start by applying to jobs that you would absolutely love to have. Can't get those? Start branching out. Since you are in film, you probably looked at production companies. Can't find anything there? Look at ad agencies. Can't find it there? Look at sound tech or news stations. Don't feel limited just because your experience is.

Tailor every single application to the place you apply to. Shooting out 50 apps a day doesn't matter if they are all cookie cutter and shit.

If you absolutely can't find anything after 6 months, take an unpaid internship somewhere and wait tables/do whatever at night to pay the bills.

Monster sucks unless you have a degree or a lot of experience. Craigslist is much more ideal for 20's but you really have to watch out for scams or false promises. I learned that the hard way 3000 miles, 1 week, and 700 dollars later :/

I'm roughly your age, and I was doing this a year ago. Now I'm employed and on my own. Money is still tight and I sometimes have to lean on my parents from time to time (even though I hate to), but a lot of that is due to loans and bills that piled up while I was unemployed.

You really have to keep fighting for that job in your field that will get you out on your own.

While you're at your parents house, get any job that you can. Even if it's a nothing job your parents could help you get. You have no expenses. Perfect opportunity to make some hefty payments on loans or put some money back for later.

Instead, I haven't been able to find al job in anything related to what I want to do.

Part of life is that you sometimes need to take a job that you don't want to do, just because it pays the bills. It doesn't mean you have to do it for the rest of your life, though. Waiting tables isn't glamorous or anything, but it could get you out of your parents' home, which seems to be a big concern for you.

My friend was in the same situation. He worked for a couple of months doing odd jobs here and there. Saved up about $6 or 7k and moved out to where he wanted to live. He still works for pretty much minimum wages, but now he has started meeting new people and seemed to be loving his life. Last update I got from him he's actually starting to get into the field he studied for.

I think that right now, this is indeed normal. This wasn't the case even a few years ago-- when I graduated from college, every single person I knew was graduating with a job offer already in place, or was heading off immediately to med, law, or grad school (with the exception of a few girls who just immediately became housewives, and one person who became a nun). However, just a few years later, it seems like very few people have jobs right away-- at least jobs that actually require or use their degree. So it's not just you!

Dude don't feel bad at all. This economy is absolutely terrible. I was going to ask you're American but it's probably no different around the world (economy-wise). You're working a job, albeit not in your field, and are working hard to find a job so you shouldn't feel any shame.

I do feel you on the romantic options issue though. That is kind of a pain in the ass.

On the one hand, this is startlingly common, not just in the US but around the developed world. (I've heard some European countries have unemployment rates approaching 50% for 18-25-year-olds.)

On the other hand, you should seriously consider expanding "what I want to do". No jobs in your #1 "what I want to do" choice? Are there any jobs elsewhere in the country? In the world? (After my previous job was outsourced, I chose a new career ... and ended up moving from Canada to the US.)

What's #2 on your list of "what I want to do"? #3? #s 4, 5, and 6? Google to see how much demand there is in those fields. High demand for #4? Go for it!

Lots of online sites with aptitude tests. Lots of online sites with labour market information, by state, region, country, you name it. There are jobs out there -- skilled jobs that pay well, even -- that don't have enough skilled bodies to fill them. So even though it might mean going back to school (for my new career, it means studying my ass off for Really Ugly Hard Exams on top of the full-time job), open your mind and see what you can find. Never know, might stumble into something great!

Degree does not guarantee you a job. It just helps. It's not a ticket to success.

I went through the same thing, back in, oh, 2003 or so. After many many rejections for entry level positions in a field I was told would have job opportunity, I finally acquiesced and got a job as a bank teller. And I only got that because a friend referred me. Eventually I worked my way up within that company to a position that fit my education and things are good.

Just persist. Remember that you aren't entitled to anything. And almost always, having someone refer you yields a job far more often than knocking on a company's front door in a sea of other applicants.

Life is not always a bed of roses, man. If you can't find the perfect job for you, but don't want to keep living with your parents and having no money then broaden your search and lower your expectations until you find someone willing to provide you with enough money to move out on your own.

I'm 25 and think it's been a real disservice to our generation that our whole lives we've been taught to follow our dreams and everything will work out for us and we will eventually find a job that is fulfilling and worthwhile. However, unless you have an engineering, science, or math degree the pickings of jobs for you are extremely slim.

Has anybody ever heard our generation referred to as the NINJA generation?

I had a job pipefitting right out of highschool. Paid fifteen an hour. Moved out on my own, got fired because of being a flake and partying too much. Moved in with my dad at 19, and been there since, with the exception of college. Tried doing some engineering drafting, which didnt workout (flaked out and failed. Also, WoW). Went back for Broadcast technology and I'm doing good in it. Graduating this year.

It takes some people a few tries to get it right. You cannot give up. And when you finally succeed, it tastes soo much sweeter.

I'm 24, sort-of jobless (living with my girlfriend and being a photographer not making enough) without a degree or any realistic prospects in my future. I feel you man. Once my money runs out I'm not sure what I'll do.

make your cover letter magic, man. i'm tellin' ya, a kickass cover letter can snag some attention. i'm also 24, with a degree in a field that's hard to get a job in and i snagged a gig. it's not the greatest in the world, but it's a start. and my boss told me that it was my cover letter that made it happen for her. ill help ya write one up if ya need

Look. You are not going to get the job you want, straight out of college, unless you are an IT or Healthcare Major. If you are one or the other and you don't have a job, then you need to really step back and evaluate how you fucked that up.

You are going to have to work some shit jobs just like everyone else. So get your balls out of your purse, put down your bong, and go take the first shit job that comes your way and start working your way up.

Funny enough, while working a shit job, I ran into a guy that recruited me for a better job, that paid nearly 4 times what I was making. So, those shit jobs could possibly turn into something great.

Don't lose hope, gain ambition, don't take no for an answer. Talk to people who are successful and get their advice. It couldn't hurt.

I lived with my parents until last year. I am 28. I always got amazing grades, went to an amazing college, had good internships and knew people, but managed to be a fucking loser who spends friday nights on reddit after getting off work at a restaurant job which in the last two years has made me age 20 years.... Currently working on getting a post baccalaureate degree which I have no fucking clue what it will do for me.

thanks- I think what I was trying to say is I can find jobs that pay- waiting, bussing, bartending, lifeguarding, etc, and I have cash saved...I want a career worthy job to stop my cycle of working seasonally and spending the winter's in my parents house

You need to have some job, any job, even if it's just working at a grocery store running a register. While you have that job, you keep looking for other jobs. Do you mean to say that you have no paychecks coming in right now, that your only income is under-the-table stuff if any income at all?

For many people, the "career" doesn't happen until after they've been moving from job to job for a few years. Don't expect to get into a fortune 500 corporation, in an office building, for your first job fresh out of college. While it can and does happen, sure, you need to at least have something in the meantime. Worst case scenario - you work as a grocery cashier for a couple years, go up to the service desk for a couple more, become a supervisor, and by 30 you are an assistant manager or something, making plenty enough to be a homeowner -- that is not a terrible "worst case" even if it's got nothing to do with your degree. If you never start any kind of job at all, even the menial ones, then the worst case scenario is that, at 30, you are still right where you are now.

Gotta get out there and do something while you're looking for the career.

alright, let's not get too philosophical- I just want to make sure that I'm not a bum. I have some insidious little voice in my head that keeps telling me I'm wasting the best years of my life in my room on a computer instead of finding a job and girlfriend, both of which I really want.

You are stuck in a rut, and at 24, so was I. What you need to do is travel for a year. I would suggest working as an English Teacher in Thailand. Money goes a long way there. (I went on tropical island vacations every month with my own hut on the beach!)

Gain confidence in yourself again, but also remember to bring your camera. Use it to document your experience, especially in your free time when you travel to other areas in the region like Laos and Cambodia. They are not super well explored places so people will be interested in what you film.

Collect all that footage and edit together something, or series of little somethings. Stuff you can use as a sample reel when looking for jobs later. By default you just became an interesting story, and you would be surprised how much that can open doors. (The people that hire you, will work with you. And they would prefer to work with cool/interesting people.)

Not to mention it would be a FUCKING AWESOME life experience. Talk about bars, and girls Bangkok is great for night life (and its very international so there are lots of foreigners there and all kinds of food)

And then their the tropical island parties like the Full Moon Party!

If you want any more information on where to get started with teaching abroad I can give you some tips.

It was a life changing experience for me, and probably would not be a bad idea to at least look into it.

You have to look to get a job. I don't mean just looking in your field either. We have a theatre major who does takes care of a lot of our work for code reviews and customer meeting and I work with a biology major who does coding. This is at an engineering firm. There are government positions available that just require you to have a four year degree in something. Make sure you check other cities as well, don't limit yourself to where you are currently living. Are you actively going out looking 8 hours a day? If not you are not doing your due diligence.

You are most certainly not alone. But DO NOT settle for just some shitty job in a mall some where. You can do better, wait tables in the mean time if you must, but never stop looking for work. I was with out a job for over a year living with my parents on nothing but a paltry unemployment check every week. It is very easy to get used to this and get comfortable waking up whenever you want and falling asleep the same way. It is very important to make goals for yourself every day and meet them. Just recently I have found a job that pays very well and has wonderful benefits. It IS possible, you've just got to keep looking and keep your head up.

The unemployment rate, if I recall, is something like 18% for early 20's college graduates. So while you are in good company with 18% of your peers, for every jobless graduate, there are 4 with jobs. Now, not all of those jobs are high paying professional jobs, but many are.

What did you study? You mention not being able to find a job in anything related to what you want to do. Perhaps now is the time in your career to build professional experience in some field, which you can use to parlay into a better, more interesting job once the economy improves.

Well I guess it depends if you live in a rural or suburban area. It is easier in a big city to find a decent job. that being said, I just graduated last May.. literally went on 15 interviews over 2 months until I found something I wouldnt hate going to everyday. Needless to say, I was discouraged in the beginning.. but I didnt give up. Keep looking and you will find something, dont settle!

it used to be not normal. But (in uk) less companies are now taking in school leavers/graduates in apprenticeships. Dad said 'back in his day' companies would always have couple of younger worker in the office, think it was law [citation needed]. He said pretty much job center would just take out a file and told him to go to this office for work.

However, unpaid internships are normal now, and companies are hiring less entry level people who were students (entry level job....need 5 years experience]. I was lucky to get job through an unpaid internship, but still living at home with parents.

This is part due to recession I think, saving money, companeis don't want to train people/deal with mistakes and cost of living means moving out in early 20s is harder. Everyone my age I know are still living at home. It sucks

Number one thing right now for your age right now: challenge what you think you know about yourself and your likes, there's a good chance it's bullshit left over from your early 20s late teens chauvinism

I graduated in May '09 and didn't get a job until April '10. I graduated from a top 20 US school with a degree that would be useless unless I went to graduate school. Couldn't afford it. So I ended up living with parents until I could afford an apartment in November '10. Until I got that job, I was in the same situation you're in now. Miserable, lonely, discouraged. It sucks, and I'm sorry you have to go through it. It was probably the worst period of my life.

Your situation is only "acceptable" if you let it be that way. If what you're doing isn't getting results, you have to change what you're doing. Other people have shared similar motivations and such, so I'll just add mine on the pile. You can't expect anything from blindly sending resumes or e-mails online. If you're having trouble, get facetime by going to job fairs, handing in resumes in person, or even going through temp agencies. I got my job through a job fair. It's started me in something completely different than what I majored in, but you have to take what you can get.

And I want to emphasize that last point again. Take what you can get. Don't expect to find something in your field, because in this recession, you can't expect anything. Apply to everything.

Again, I'm so, so sorry you have to go through this. That feeling of "I'm wasting the best years of my life" was with me, too. Don't feel that way. Like other people have said, celebrate the blessings you have and work steadily to improve your life. You can do it.

I just got an "entry level" well paying job you need a college degree just to walk into an interview for. I don't have a degree I just knew the right people.

Get out there and network. Don't brush people off and remember names. Be kind to everyone and let it be known that you are eager and you got your own projects going on. Shit hang out at the local college and ask some drama kids if they got any ideas.

A lot of hipster kids out there got these ideas for things that are cool just they don't have the technical knowledge of how to pull it off. Go give 'em your knowledge and help them pull it off.

Put yourself in situations you wouldn't normally find yourself in with potential. Like art show openings and small gig scenes. NETWORK. I met my current boss at an indie rock show.